Northwestern pitcher Zach Schara threw the first and last innings of this weekend’s four-game series at Penn State, and the feelings in the two appearances couldn’t have been more different.
In the first game, the Wildcats’ ace gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings of work to begin a series where NU needed to win at least three games to stay in contention for a Big Ten tournament berth.
The Cats went on to lose the opener, 14-6, but then reeled off three straight victories to jump past Michigan into fifth place with one weekend left in the regular season. The top six teams advance to the Big Ten championships.
Sunday’s 5-4 victory might very well have saved NU’s postseason hopes, with the Cats getting another impressive outing from lefthander Ryan Bos and a clutch two-out, pinch hit, two-RBI double from Matt Thompson in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 tie. It was Thompson’s second pinch-hit double of the series.
With the game tied at three, NU catcher Joe Hietpas singled and then fellow senior Wes Robinson moved pinch runner Andy Adams to second on a groundout.
Freshman Dan Pohlman then singled to advance Adams to third before Thompson drilled a double, scoring both Adams and Pohlman.
Schara (7-5) got the win in relief of Bos after taking over with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Bos gave up three runs on 11 hits over 7 1/3 innings before Schara took over and earned the victory.
In Saturday’s doubleheader, NU used complete games from senior Mike Nall in the opener and junior Gabe Ribas in Game 2 to upend Penn State 4-0, 10-3. Hietpas went 2-for-3 in the first game, driving in two runs.
In the most important series of the season thus far, NU didn’t exactly get luxurious traveling accommodations. Sophomore infielder Ken Padgett toted his baseball bag on his shoulder out of his dorm room and toward his car on North Campus around midnight Thursday to drive up to the stadium and meet the bus for the overnight drive to State College, Pa.
The Cats arrived early Thursday morning and were able to relax before practicing for Friday’s opener. Sunday evening, NU packed the bus up in time to return to Evanston at about 4 a.m. Monday morning. NU baseball players were unavailable for comment Sunday night.
Although the Cats are in fifth place and percentage points ahead of Michigan – who only managed one win at Michigan State this weekend – there is a logjam in the middle of the conference.
Only two games separate fourth place Penn State and eighth place Michigan State. Illinois is currently in seventh, a half-game behind Michigan and NU. The Spartans are one game out of a playoff spot.
The Cats will finish their regular season schedule next weekend at third-place Minnesota, which was atop the Big Ten less than a month ago.
Illinois has the easiest schedule next weekend, drawing last-place Indiana at home. Michigan will travel to conference-leading Ohio State, and Michigan State will meet the Nittany Lions.
